


The Later Years

by tinyrose65



Series: Harriet Potter [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, Genderbend, Genderswap, One-Shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-04-25 19:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4973383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyrose65/pseuds/tinyrose65
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harriet's life didn't end with the defeat of the basilisk. Voldemort might be gone, but with family and friends like hers, the rest of her time at Hogwarts is bound to be interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Past Always Catches Up With You (Year 3)

**Summary** : With her second year come and gone, Harriet is finally enjoying her summer. But she can't help but be distracted by some lingering questions and she decides that it's about time she gets some answers.

* * *

**"Study the past, if you wish to divine the future."**

**-Confucius**

* * *

_Remus_

**Harriet Potter and Remus Lupin, Sirius's and Remus's Place- June 5, 1993**

Harriet was looking forward to the rest of her summer. There were no professors out to kill her, no bizarre House Elves (well, except for Kreacher, who Harriet finally got to meet), and, most importantly, no Dursleys. It would instead consist of time spent at home, time spent at the Weasley's and the Granger's, and time spent brewing with Snape. She also spent quite a bit of time at Sirius's and Remus's place. Despite the fact that Grimmauld Place was now habitable, neither Sirius or Remus seemed too inclined to give up their current living arrangement.

Harriet understood.

After living so long with the Dursleys, starved of affection, Harriet had no desire to ever leave the warmth of her family's presence. And, anyway, Harriet quite  _liked_ the small flat that Remus and Sirius shared. Remus, who had been living there longer, had filled it up with books and old, if not insanely comfortable, furniture, much like his office at Hogwarts. Since Sirius had moved in, though, the slightly-rundown apartment had received some new renovations, thanks to the almost unlimited funds of the Black vaults: while still retaining the coziness it had before, the flat was now cleaner, more well lit, and with  _much_ more reliable indoor plumbing.

So yes. Harriet loved spending time there.

As it was, Harriet was currently keeping Remus company after the full moon. Hogwarts had only officially ended for the summer holiday a few days ago. Remus had almost immediately had to prepare for the full moon, with Sirius and Harriet's father keeping him company. However, the next day, Sirius and her father had to work, and so did her mother, so Harriet had happily offered to keep Remus company while her parents were out.

Dropped at Remus's by the dreaded Floo, Harriet bid them goodbye and went to Remus's bedroom, where she knew her uncle would be. She found him, sure enough, in bed, windows open wide to let in the light and a book in hand. When she opened the door, he put the book down and grinned when he saw her. Harriet noticed that he looked very tired, but otherwise well. She ran over to him and gave him a large hug.

"Hello, Uncle Moony."

"Hello, Harriet," he returned, before releasing her.

"How are you feeling, Uncle Moony?"

"Well," Remus said. He lifted his book. "I was just enjoying a quiet afternoon. Would you care to join me?"

When Harriet nodded eagerly, Remus gave her permission to go borrow from one of his bookshelves. Harriet beamed and ran into the living room to begin searching. It took a few minutes, but she finally settled on a muggle book that looked to be about a hobbit. Then she popped into the kitchen to make tea for them both, before finally rejoining her uncle in his room, balancing a tray of tea with one hand and her book in the other.

Remus tutted and grabbed his wand from his bedside table, levitating the tray of tea over to it. "You didn't need to make tea, Prongslette."

"I can make tea, Uncle Moony," Harriet argued, settling into the armchair by the bed and grabbing the lovely, knitted blanket that rested on top to cover herself. "You worry too much. You  _and_ mum."

"Considering your propensity for trouble," Remus chuckled, preparing a cup of tea first for Harriet and handing it to her, then for himself, "I think we worry the proper amount."

"I don't go looking for trouble!" Harriet protested, pausing for just a second to blow lightly on her tea. "Trouble usually finds me!"

"Are you sure your curiosity has nothing to do with it?" Remus teased. When Harriet blushed and looked down, Remus said, "Curiosity can be a marvelous thing, Harriet."

"Dumbledore told me that," Harriet remembered.

Remus nodded. "He told me that, too, when I was about your age."

Harriet looked at her uncle curiously. "Really? Why?"

"Well," Remus said slowly, "I supposed I always blamed myself for my lycanthropy. I was a small boy, you see, and I wandered off from my father one day while playing in the yard, to go explore a cluster of bushes." He shrugged, leading Harriet no doubt as to what had happened next. "Dumbledore was aware of the situation, but regardless let me attend school. Even when I felt guilty for the danger I was putting the other students in, he stood by me. He told me that I was not at fault and that I should never count my curiosity-"

"-as a sin," Harriet finished, with a small smile. She had always wondered just  _how_ her uncle had become a werewolf and a small part of her was thrilled that he had finally trusted her enough to tell her.

"Exactly," Remus said. "And neither should you."

Harriet smiled and then said, "And it all worked out, anyway- Well, sort of. I'm still alive and now you have your Wolfsbane potion!"

Remus hummed in agreement. He said, "Yes. It is very nice of Severus to make it for me every month."

Not for the first time, Harriet was struck by the fact that her Uncle Severus didn't get along too well with the rest of her family. It was something that she had thought about for a very long time, but she had never bothered asking, always too afraid or too preoccupied. Now, though, she was sitting in Remus's room with him, not really doing anything.

Hesitating, Harriet asked, "Why doesn't Uncle Severus like your or Padfoot or my dad?"

Remus, who had gone back to reading his book, stiffened a bit. Then he told her, "I'm not sure I'm the right person to explain this to you, Prongslette."

Harriet shut her book and leaned towards him. " _Please,_ Uncle Moony. You're the perfect person to tell me. I trust you."

Remus huffed out a laugh. How was he supposed to say no to that?

"You know we never got along with Snape because of House rivalries, correct?" Remus asked. Harriet nodded. "Well, at some point- and I'm not really sure  _when,_ mind you- it became more than that. I think the day that the hatred between Snape and your father and Sirius and I was truly cemented was during the night of the full moon. Sirius told Snape to go and press the knot of the Whomping Willow that led to the Shrieking Shack-"

"But you would've been a werewolf," Harriet gasped.

Remus nodded. "Yes, although Snape had no idea of that. I don't think Sirius expected him to go  _through_ with it, but Snape did, and since then Snape has been convinced that Sirius was trying to kill him, and that the rest of us were in on it."

"Was Sirius trying to kill him?" Harriet asked. The thought was unthinkable, but Harriet had learned this past year that sometimes unthinkable things happened.

"You'd have to ask him, Prongslette," Remus chided gently before going back to his book. Harriet tried to get back to hers, but couldn't focus at all.

* * *

_Sirius_

**Harriet Potter and Sirius Black, Harriet's Room, Potter Manor- June 7, 1993**

Cleaning her room was one of those things that Harriet really didn't mind doing. That is to say, it's not that she  _liked_ doing it, but she had cleaned so many rooms at the Dursleys that now living with her parents and having only one room to clean was a blessing. Not to mention the fact that Isaura and Hedwig kept her company as she went about cleaning.

As Harriet made her bed, she and Isaura were discussing the abundance of mice on the Potter estate when a somebody knocked at the door.

"C'm in!" Harriet called.

The door opened to reveal Sirius. Harriet grinned and immediately ran over to give him a hug. She wrapped her arms around his middle and felt him plant a kiss on the top of her head.

"How are you, Prongslette?"

Harriet looked up at him and said, "I'm alright!"

"Just alright?" Sirius teased.

"I'm cleaning my room!" Harriet protested. Sirius nodded understandingly and took a seat in the chair by her desk. He watched her for a moment and then said, "I used to love cleaning my room when I was your age."

Harriet looked at him as though he was a bit touched in the head. She said, "I mean, I don't  _mind_ doing it, but I don't  _like_ it."

"I used to live for it," Sirius said with a wicked grin. "My parents hated when I did it. Thought that I should get our house-elf, Kreacher, to do it for me. They were furious when I ordered him to never clean my room again."

"You had a house-elf?" Harriet asked, surprised. Sirius nodded.

" _Have,_ actually," he corrected. "Kreacher is still alive. He's gotten better since I last saw him, but he's still a bit too unpredictable. When he calms down a bit more, I'll take him to meet you. He is very excited about that."

"You told him about me?"

"No. Regulus did," Sirius said. Harriet remembered Regulus. She had met him (sort of) when she had (almost) died in the Chamber of Secrets at Voldemort's (well, his memory's) hand.

"Is Kreacher why you ran away from home?" Harriet asked carefully. Harriet knew that it was a delicate subject for her godfather, but it was something she had been thinking about for a while. Thankfully, Sirius didn't seem upset. Instead, he barked out a laugh.

"Merlin, no," Sirius said. "Although he certainly was annoying back in those days. Followed my parents' orders and spouted off their pure-blood nonsense.  _That's_ why I left. I couldn't stand that sort of prejudice. I was the first Black in centuries to be sorted into a house other than Slytherin, you know."

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Sirius said, sounding quite delighted.

"Did they disown you?" Harriet wondered. "Your parents, I mean?"

"Oh, no. I left before they had a chance. I didn't want  _that_ legacy hanging over my head. Your father and his family were very kind to me and gave me a place to stay," Sirius said wistfully.

"Your family is why you don't like Slytherins," Harriet surmised. Sirius seemed surprised at the conclusion, but he nodded nonetheless. Harriet added, "And it's why you don't like Uncle Severus."

Here, Sirius let out another bark of laughter. "No, Prongslette. I don't like Sniv- Snape because he's a  _git._ "

"So you let Moony almost kill him?" Harriet demanded. It seemed to take Sirius a minute to realize what she was talking about, but then he shook his head rapidly. He seemed to struggle figuring out what to say, but eventually he managed to speak.

"You have to understand, Prongslette, I was a  _brat_ as a kid. Your father, too, and I'm sure he'd happily admit it if you ask him. But when I told Snape about- I mean, I never thought he would actually  _do it._ I promise you, if I had known, I never would have done it."

Harriet decided that, by the look on his face, she could believe him. "What happened?"

Sirius sighed. "Your father heard about it. He saved Snape's life."

"He did?" Harriet asked.

"Yes," Sirius confirmed. "Your father is a good man. The best sort of man there is."

Harriet had to agree.

* * *

_James_

**Harriet and James Potter, Behind Potter Manor- June 10, 1993**

Harriet and her father tumbled, laughing, onto the grass. It was a warm, sunny day, and when Harriet had woken up that morning, her father had greeted her downstairs with a proposed game of Quidditch.

Harriet hadn't needed any persuasion.

Eventually, "Quidditch" had turned into chasing each other around on their brooms. Her father's own Nimbus was not nearly as wonderful as her Firebolt (something he constantly lamented, but Harriet said not a word, since she knew that Sirius had bought him a Firebolt, too, but for his birthday), but her father was far more experienced, leading to a wonderful time

It was a  _warm_ day, though, so eventually Harriet and her father settled down for a moment to cool down.

Slightly out of breath, her father, next to her on the ground, said, "You truly are a great flier, Prongslette. You fly almost as well as I did when I was at Hogwarts."

"Almost as well?" Harriet asked indignantly. "I made the Quidditch team in my first year! You didn't do that!"

"McGonagall was biased against me!" Her father protested.

"Why would she be biased against you?" Harriet frowned.

"Sirius and I may have already played a few pranks on the Slytherins by the time Quidditch try-outs rolled around," her father admitted sheepishly.

"Like on Snape?" Harriet asked.

Her father looked at her in surprise, but then said, "Well, yes. On Snape, certainly, although we only really started targeting him in our later years."

"When Sirius tricked Snape into going to the Whomping Willow," Harriet clarified.

Harriet watched as her father laughed nervously. "I suppose. Why so curious, Prongslette?"

With no real answer, Harriet just shrugged. "Sirius was telling me about how you saved Snape's life."

"I suppose I did," her father said through pursed lips.

"Why?" was the only thing Harriet could think to ask.

"Because it was the right thing to do," her father shrugged. "He was your mother's old friend. Both? It was so long ago, Prongslette, I don't remember what exactly what I was thinking. Just that Sirius was an idiot."

Harriet giggled and her father stood up and offered her his hand.

"Let's go inside, Prongslette," her father said as he pulled her to her feet. "I think your mother is making us snacks."

This sounded like a good idea to Harriet.

* * *

_Snape_

**Harriet and Professor Snape, Snape's House- June 12, 1993**

It was another day of helping her Uncle Severus prepare potions. Down in his basement, the air was musty and it was dark and cold. Regardless, Harriet couldn't be happier as she stood next to her uncle, listening as he described some of the more painstaking details of the potion they were working on.

When the time came for them to do nothing but wait for the potion to be ready, Harriet and her uncle stood in silence for only a minute before Harriet's curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "How long have you been making potions, Uncle Sev?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to be more specific. Do you mean professionally or when did I first take an interest in the subject?"

Harriet considered for a moment. "Both, I guess."

"I first became interested in potions when I entered Hogwarts," Snape said. "And pursued the subject professionally immediately after I left school."

"So you've always liked it, then," Harriet prodded.

"Not always," Snape corrected, a stickler for accuracy. "Before I arrived at Hogwarts, I knew next to nothing about potions making. My family had little money for such expensive  _hobbies."_

He said this word with such scorn that Harriet got the impression that this was not a word he would've chosen to use, but rather one that his parents had used on more than one occasion. Deciding to drop the topic of her uncle's parents (clearly a sensitive topic for him), she said instead, "So what did you like to do for fun while you were growing up?"

"There was a park down the street from my house," Snape said shortly.

Harriet thought about this and finally said, "Mum mentioned that park a few times. Did you used to play there with her?"

"Yes."

"And Aunt Petunia?"

A nod.

"If you were all friends," Harriet said, "Why'd you stop?"

"Your Aunt grew jealous of your mother's magic," Snape said shortly, "And your mother and I- drifted apart."

Harriet got the distinct impression that this was all Snape would say on the subject, but decided to try a slightly different approach. "Was it because of my dad and Uncle Moony and Uncle Padfoot?"

"... your mother's relationship with your father started after her friendship with me ended."

So much for getting more out of him. Harriet huffed. This entire thing had been an attempt to try and understand why Snape had ended his friendship with her mother, become a Death Eater, tried to save her life, and become friends with her mother again-

But.

No.

She looked at Snape out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't  _in love_ with her mum, was he? Harriet didn't understand much about what being in love was like, but from what she saw in movies, it would explain a lot.

...

Okay.

So, Harriet decided, if Snape had been in love with her mother, why was he trying to be friends with them all again?

It couldn't be to win her mother back. Her mother  _would never_ let Snape do something like that. Ever.

It didn't make sense to her.

"Why are you friends with my mum?" Harriet risked asking. Snape, who had begun to add new ingredients to their potions, paused only for a moment before continuing.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You stopped being friends with her in school, and then you became a Death Eater- and yeah, I know about that, Regulus told me. Then why are you friends with her now?"

Snape considered her for a moment. Despite the fact that he always wore the same expression, Harriet could tell that he was starting to get a bit annoyed with her current line of questioning. She was nothing if not persistent, though, and for all his bluster and dark clothes, Snape didn't scare her one bit. There was was no way she going to stop questioning him just because he glared at her.

Snape seemed to come to this conclusion himself.

"She offered me a second chance.  I took it."

To be fair, that was far more than Harriet had expected to get out of him, but it did lead to another important question, "Are you only friends with me because of my mum?"

At this, Snape seemed to still, and Harriet felt her heart migrate to her throat as she imagined him nodding. His face contorted oddly and for a moment, Harriet was convinced that he was going to be sick.

Hang on!

He was-  _laughing._

It was one of strangest, most bizarre things Harriet had  _ever_ seen in her entire life. It just didn't make any sense. She had seen Snape smirk every now again, but never a full blown chuckle like he was doing now.

"What's so funny?" she said indignantly.

He just shook his head and chuckled a bit more. Harriet stomped her foot, frustrated. That got his attention and he slowly schooled his face back into it's normal mask.

"You remind me of your mother at your age sometimes," he said. Harriet frowned, trying to figure out if he was answering her first question or her second.

"Is that why you like me?"

"There's hope for you yet, Potter," was all he said.  With that, he shoved some herbs at her and told her to start chopping. Harriet did so. He hadn't really given her an answer, but he had told her that he cared for her not because of her parents or what she had done as a baby.

And that he had given her all the answer she needed.


	2. Sweet Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hogwarts seems to have caught the love bug. Thankfully, Harriet soon learns that she isn't the only one feeling left out. Perhaps there's a way to fix that?

**"The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender."**

**-Emil Ludwig**

* * *

**Harriet Potter- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, February 14, 1993**

Previous Valentine's Days did not hold good memories for Harriet.

The first one she could actually remember was when she was still living with the Dursleys. She had been in primary school and their teacher had made them all make cards. Harriet made one, and gave it to Bobby, the boy who sat in front of her in class. He had brown, curly hair and Harriet thought he had the prettiest eyes she had ever seen.

He was also very nice- he took her card shyly and gave her his in exchange. They ate lunch together. Bobby gave her some of his animal crackers and she gave him some of her carrot sticks. Harriet knew she was in love when he thanked her for them and  _ate_ them. Aunt Petunia never gave her the  _good_ carrot sticks, which meant Bobby ate them only because he liked her, too.

The next morning, Harriet was excited to see him and was looking forward to school for the first time in a long time. She knew something was wrong the minute she got to class. Bobby looked up at her from his desk and then looked back down. It only a glance at Dudley and his snickering friends to know what had happened.

He  _always_ did this when she tried to make new friends- threatening them so they wouldn't hang out with her, that was- but Harriet couldn't help but feel that doing this with her Valentine was taking it a bit too far. Not that she could actually  _do_ anything about it. Although, oddly enough, later that day, much to Harriet's pleasure, Dudley opened up his pencil box to find that all his crayons had turned pink and melted.

His cry of shock was something that she remembered with fondness to this day.

After that, Valentine's didn't get any better for her. She was too preoccupied to remember her first Valentine's Day at Hogwarts, and the second one had been too embarrassing for words. That's why she didn't pay too much attention to her third one as it approached.

It was hard to ignore it, though, when it was all that anybody could talk about. In the days leading up to it, Harriet saw signs of it everywhere. Students talking about it, girls giggling as their respective others invited them to Hogsmeade dates, boys plotting on how to sneak a kiss without the professors spotting.

By the time the actual day rolled around, she was already sick of the whole thing. There were no dwarves dressed as cupids, which was a nice change, but  _everybody_ was  _kissing._ The professors, many of whom could be rather strict about these sorts of things, simply watched it all in amusement, clearly swept up in the festivities and "the joys of young love," to quote Dumbledore.

Harriet, annoyed, decided to try seeking refuge in Uncle Moony's office. He always had hot cocoa for her. Leaving Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall (they were bickering as usual, and didn't notice her leave), she headed off.

She should've realized that something was wrong as she got closer to his office.

A group of girls passed her, giggling.

"He is  _so_ handsome," one of them sighed.

"And an Auror," another added. "I love a man in uniform."

As Harriet approached, she couldn't help but ask, "An Auror? Here at Hogwarts? Who?"

"Sirius  _Black,"_ said the third one. Harriet felt about ready to gag. She  _knew_ she shouldn't have asked.

"That's my  _godfather,"_ she protested. They looked at her as though she was the luckiest girl in the world. Harriet dashed around the corner as quickly as she could, eyes wide, listening to them giggling again as they walked away.

Alone with her (disturbing) thoughts, she was able to wonder what exactly Sirius was doing wandering the halls of Hogwarts, breaking the hearts of pre-teen girls. From what she understood, he'd done his fair share of that already while he was  _at_  school.

When she arrived outside Moony's office, she had to stop short. Harriet had seen Sirius in some very strange positions before, but this had to rank in the top five. He was crouched by Remus's office door, attempting to peek through the keyhole. Harriet walked up right behind him and he still didn't notice her.

"Sirius?" she questioned.

He jumped about ten feet in the air and turned to face her.

"Blimey, Prongslette!" Harriet noticed that he was whispering. "You scared me."

"Sorry," Harriet said, not sounding at all apologetic. "What exactly are you doing?"

Sirius pulled Harriet down so that she was crouched next to him. He had stopped looking through the keyhole and instead had his ear pressed against the door. "I came here to see Moony."

"Well, yeah, I got that bit," Harriet said slowly. Sirius shushed her, so she lowered her voice and clarified, "I meant, why are you crouching out here by the door?

"He has somebody in there." Sirius said this as if it was all the explanation a person would need. Harriet was still confused.

"I still don't understand."

"It's a woman," Sirius said simply.

Now, Harriet pressed her ear to the door, too. "A real one?"

"Exactly," Sirius told her. Neither of them could hear what was going on inside, so Sirius went back to trying to look through the keyhole. Whatever it was that he managed to see, it made him scowl.

"What is it?" Harriet whispered.

"They still have their clothes on," Sirius grumbled. "They've been in there long enough that I hoped-"

Harriet, blushing, interrupted him and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be trying to set a good example for me?"

Sirius shot back, "I  _am,_ Prongslette. By showing you what  _not_ to do."

Before Harriet could argue that she was fairly certain that that wasn't what that particular saying meant, the door they were leaning on opened, causing them both to tumble forward and land on the ground in a mass of tangled limbs.

As it was, they landed at the feet of a very bemused looking Uncle Moony, who stood above them with his arms crossed and his eyebrows to his hairline.

"Most people knock," he said drily.

"You should know I'm not 'most people!'" Sirius sputtered indignantly as he stood up, and then extending a hand to help up Harriet.

Remus didn't justify this with a response as he let them in and closed the door shut behind him. Harriet, looking around, noticed that the woman who was with him (or the woman Sirius  _claimed_ was with him) was gone. Sirius noticed, too.

"Where's your girlfriend?" he whined.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Remus said. He was blushing and stammering, looking not nearly as calm as he usually did.

"I might believe you," Sirius responded, "If it weren't for that lipstick on your collar."

Remus's eyes widened and he slapped his hand over the lipstick mark in question, as though Sirius wouldn't remember it existed if he covered it up. Considering Sirius's attention span, Harriet thought this was actually a valid line of reasoning.

Sirius  _did_ remember, though, and hooted with laughter. When Remus made it clear he wasn't going to say anything, he demanded, "Go on, then! Tell me about her! Do I know her?"

Remus's answering stutter was enough of an answer for  _that,_ leading to Sirius peppering Remus with questions, much to Remus's misfortune. Harriet amused herself by listening for several minutes, only to realize that this (discussions of love and kissing and the like) was exactly what she had been trying to get away from.

With a muttered explanation about having homework to do, Harriet scampered off, hearing Remus and Sirius bickering cut off by the shutting of the door behind her.  Harriet paused, for a moment, unsure of where to go. In the end, she decided to go back to the Gryfindor common room, since, considering the lovely weather, everybody with any free time was outside, and that it should be empty enough for her tastes.

Much to her surprise, it was even emptier than she had expected. Nobody was there- no doubt enjoying the sunshine- except for Neville, who she was admittedly surprised to see. She told him as much.

"What're you doing in here?" she asked, sitting down on the cushions next to him. He looked up at her and she added, "I thought you'd be outside in the greenhouses. It's a lovely day out."

"I just wanted to be alone," Neville said shifting uncomfortably. Then, realizing how his words could be misconstrued, he hastily sputtered, "But you can stay, obviously! It's fine."

"Are you sure?" Harriet asked nervously, not wanting to bother him.

"Yeah," Neville assured. "To be honest, I just wanted to get away from all that-"

"All that what?" Harriet said curiously.

Neville blushed, but seemed to know that Harriet had a penchant for discovering secrets, so he said, "All the  _kissing."_

Instead of the ridicule he was expecting, Harriet nodded vehemently in agreement. "Me, too! It's insane! What is it with Hogwarts this time of year?"

"I don't know," Neville shrugged. "They're all obsessed with kissing-"

"And being cute!" Harriet added. "And candy and flowers and-"

"Exactly!" Neville said. "I mean, kissing somebody isn't that big a deal-"

Here, Harriet had to admit, "I wouldn't know. I've never kissed anyone."

"Neither have I."

Silence descended, and both Harriet and Neville turned back to what they were doing: Neville working on an assignment, Harriet fiddling with her hands rather uselessly, having forgotten to bring anything to do with her, as desperate as she was to get away from everybody.

"Neville?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe- No. Never mind."

"Tell me!"

"It's  _stupid."_

" _Tell me!"_ Neville repeated.

"I just thought that- I mean, if you didn't have anything better to do- that, well, maybe  _we_ could kiss." Harriet took in Neville's expression and shook her head with a small laugh. "I know: stupid. Forget I said anything. I was just talking aloud, you know?"

"I think it's a brilliant idea."

Now it was Harriet's turn to wear the strange expression. "You  _do?_ "

"That way we can see what the big deal," Neville said, sounding more resolute. "And that way we won't be so nervous for the real thing."

"Right," Harriet said, surprised. She turned to face him properly. "How do you want do this, then?"

"I guess we just-"

"And then I can do this-"

And then they were kissing. Well 'kiss' was a strong word, in Harriet's mind. It was more just pressing two lips together (Neville's were a bit chapped), neither one of them moving, or even  _breathing_. It wasn't a  _bad_ feeling. Harriet just didn't understand what all the fuss was.

Apparently, neither did Neville, since he pulled away a moment later, clearly confused. "Huh."

"Yup," Harriet agreed, as Neville picked up his book. Feeling as though she should say something else, Harriet said, "Good work."

"You, too," Neville nodded.

What they were both really saying, though, was:

_Let's agree to never talk about this again._

_Agreed._

A few hours later, when Hermione and Ron finally tracked down their wayward friend, Harriet thought that they might say something,  _notice_ something. Nothing outside had changed, and she certainly didn't  _feel_ any different, but isn't that what always happened in those films Aunt Petunia used to watch?

But if Harriet looked a bit more flushed and if Neville stuttered a bit more

-not that they  _did_ (that much)-

Nobody said anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to post this! I have no excuse. A lot of people have been wondering who I'll pair Harriet with in this story, so hopefully this helps clear some of that up?


	3. A Crush on a Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tri-Wizard Tournament has once again come to Hogwarts. For Harriet, it's brought a few things with it: trouble. And feelings for a certain Hufflepuff Seeker. To be honest, she doesn't know which is scarier.

**"First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity."**

**-George Bernard Shaw**

* * *

**Harriet Potter and Cedric Diggory, The Third Task, Hogwarts - 24 June, 1995**

It was the end of the Third Task, much to Harriet's relief. Well, it was  _almost_ the end. She and Cedric just had to find the blasted Goblet and be done with the whole thing. It had been a long few months, but as she looked up at Cedric, determination written all over his (handsome) face, she couldn't stop the happy, warm feeling that crawled up her tummy.

The whole thing was not her fault. Of course, it rarely was, but this trouble was  _especially_ not her fault. When Dumbledore had reinstated the Tri-Wizard Tournament for of-age students, and then invited two schools to Hogwarts for the year, the last thing Harriet had planned was to get involved. She was going to sit back and enjoy not being the center of attention for once.

And then her name came out of the cup.

And Ron was angry with her for a while.

And so was most of the school.

And she had to outfly a dragon.

And then learn to  _dance_ (this was the scariest thing).

And find a  _date-_ Actually,  _that_ had been the scariest thing. Harriet was never good with boys. Most of the ones she knew were on the Quidditch team, but the thought of asking them to go to the dance with her was just  _odd._ Most of the school had, at this point, more or less 'forgiven' her for entering the tournament, but that didn't mean they were lining up to ask her out.

Harriet had actually tried to ask Cedric. Except, well, she sort of blurted it out in the middle of their conversation, panicked before he had a chance to answer, and then run away to Moony's office to have some more of his hot cocoa. He ended up asking Cho Chang, Neville had asked Ginny (so that was a bust), and Harriet had no choice but to go with Ron, which was awkward considering that he spent most of the time staring completely moony-eyed at Hermione and glaring at Krum.

Cedric had at least had the decency to give her a tip on the Second Task, and, after being helped by Neville, it had gone relatively well.

It was also there that the truth of it had come out: Barty Crouch, who had been at Hogwarts at the time, had been attacked in the woods. It was only because Uncle Moony had been in the area (scoping it out before the next full moon) that he had survived, and that his son, Barty Crouch Jr. had been captured.

They had learned the whole thing. Crouch Jr., escaped from Azkaban all those years ago, had begun to work on a plan to get revenge on Harriet for killing his master, and had ended up stealing Moody's identity (poor Mad-Eye was found in a trunk) and putting her name in the Goblet in hopes that Harriet would somehow die in the process.

Unfortunately, psychos putting her name in the Goblet did not exempt her from actually competing, which is how she found herself standing, rather bloodied and bruised, next to Cedric, who, despite all the dirt, looked rather perfect.

As always.

She felt her cheeks heating up with what little blood was left in her body.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at her concernedly.

"Of course," Harriet said, shaking it off. "Let's just find that stupid cup and get out of here."

Cedric nodded and together they took a sharp right down the maze- and there it was. Beautiful and glow-y and blue and ripe for the picking-

"AGH!" Harriet let out a screech as something grabbed her from behind. It took her a moment (her world had literally flipped upside down as she landed on her back) to realize that a  _vine_ of all things had her in its grasp. She suddenly wished, as she struggled for her wand, that she had payed more attention in Professor Sprout's class.

There was a strange snapping sound, following by a rather impressive wave of pain by her ankle. If she were to hazard a guess, she would say that something had broken or fractured or  _oh who cared it bloody hurt!_

Light and noise filled the air for a moment as Cedric- at least, she assumed it was Cedric- hurled several spells at it in quick succession at it, until it finally slithered off. Harriet lay, panting, on the ground, her ankle throbbing, her ribs and her head aching from when they had landed hard on the floor.

"I am never ignoring Neville's lessons on plans again," she gasped, as she finally managed a secure grip on her wand. Cedric reached down and carefully helped her stand. He tried his best to not touch any of her severely hurt ribs, but she did let out a few whimpers here and there, ashamed as she was to admit it. When she stood (more or less) upright, he held part of her weight to ease the pain in her ankle.

And then they were standing in front of it.

Silence.

Then, "You should take it."

Both of them had spoken at the same time, and so they laughed a bit. Harriet said, "You just saved my life. I wouldn't be here without you-"

"And you saved me from that Acromantula. I never would've thought to aim for the stomach. You deserve to win."

"I don't want the glory," Harriet said vehemently, "And my family certainly doesn't need the money."

"I don't want any of it either!" Cedric pursed his lips.

Harriet suggested then, "How about we both take it? Hogwarts gets the glory, and we can give the prize money to St. Mungo's or something."

At first, Harriet didn't think he would go for it. Then, very slowly, he nodded. "One condition."

"Okay...?" Harriet said, drawing it out slightly, not entirely because she was having some trouble breathing in her condition.

"When this is over- and after we've both gotten a good night's sleep- you- I mean, only if you want to-"

"Cedric," Harriet snapped, shifting restlessly. She wanted to get this  _over_ with. She was tired and hungry and dirty and missed her parents and Isaura and Moony better have some hot chocolate waiting for her.

"Would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me?" Cedric said in a rush. "Like. A date. I mean."

Harriet's jaw literally dropped, and all the pain was forgotten. She finally managed to say, with her eyebrows raised and eyes scanning the maze around them, "Boy. You really know how to woo a girl, don't you?"

"You don't have-"

"Yes." Harriet said firmly. "I'd love to go on a date with you."

Cedric smiled, then, a bright one that seemed to light up the maze around them, and Harriet had no choice but to smile back.

On an unspoken signal, they both reached for the Goblet.

* * *

**Harriet Potter, Hogwarts Express, Somewhere - 30 June, 1995**

"So when's your date with Cedric again?" Hermione pressed eagerly. Harriet shrugged, wincing as she pulled a sore muscle. Even a week after the whole thing, every part of Harriet still hurt. Ron grimaced sympathetically from the seat next to her.

"Not sure yet," Harriet answered. "School's out for the summer, so I suppose we'll have to arrange something by owl."

Hermione squealed and Ron covered his ears. "I  _knew_ he liked you, Harriet!"

Harriet just blushed and didn't answer. Ron, deciding to change the subject said, "Sure was nice of you two to give the money to Fred and George for their joke shop."

At this, Harriet grinned. It had been hers and Cedric's decision, together. After all they had been through, the importance of jokes couldn't be understated in their opinion. Ron and Hermione were the only other two who knew about what they had done.

"My mum is going to go  _mental,_ " Ron warned.

"Let her, then," Harriet retorted. "I'm not the one who's going to have to put up with her all summer."

Even though Ron's whines filled the train for the rest of the trip home, Harriet couldn't stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter that I already have written-- I'm hard at work on the next one, though! I know it's short, but it's meant to be more of a transition piece to the next one-shot (which is longer, I promise).


	4. Lessons Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Umbridge comes to Hogwarts, Harriet is forced to learn some painful lessons as she discovers more about the people she thought she knew.

**"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."**

**-Robert Frost**

* * *

 

**Harriet Potter, Potter Manor — August 24, 1995**

It was the sort of muggy, summer day made for lazing about.Everything seemed to be moving more slowly, and Potter Manor was no exception.Harriet had no energy for even Quidditch on this day, the sweltering heat draining her of her will to play.

She was currently lying flat on her back on the couch in the living room, where her mother had cast a cooling charm to keep the house from overheating.Next to her, on the floor, was Sirius, also flat on his back, but as Padfoot, tongue lolling out of his mouth and eyes closed.Neither was particularly in interested in moving at the moment, despite the fact that they only had a week or so together before Harriet returned to school for her fifth year.

“You two still laying about, then?” asked her father, breaking the silence as he strode into the room.He took in the scene— two of the people closest to his heart keeping each other company— and tutted.“For shame.It’s a beautiful day out.”

“It’s _hot,_ ” Harriet whined, not caring how bratty she sounded.In another life, she would’ve been outside pulling weeds from Aunt Petunia’s garden, but living with her mum and dad had spoiled her rotten, and now she wouldn’t move from the couch for all the world.

Next to her, Padfoot let out a low whine and also made no effort to move.

James frowned and walked over to his friend, then giving him a gently kick in the backside.Pad Padfoot popped up with a huff and gave her father a betrayed look.James Potter was unmoved.

“Don’t give me that look.You’re the one who’s going to be complaining soon about how you didn’t get to spend enough time with Harriet over the summer.”

Realizing that he couldn’t answer Harriet’s dad in his current state, Padfoot let himself be transformed back into Sirius’s human form.Harriet, who had gotten used to seeing her father and his friend transform to and from their animagi states, didn’t bat an eyelid.Instead, she went back to fanning herself with her hand.Her mother’s cooling charm was barely effective against the mid-afternoon heat.

Sirius straightened his robes, looking affronted.“I do not _complain_ about Harriet leaving _._ ”

“Padfoot,” James said, not unkindly, “you complain about that more than anybody else in this family.”

“That’s saying something,” offered Remus as he entered the living room.He had been in the kitchen helping Lily prepare lunch when he overheard the conversation between his friends and had hastened to join them.With their work and school schedules, it had been a while since all of them (including Lily and Harriet) had had much time together. He didn’t intend to squander any of it.

Sirius scoffed.“Easy for you to say. _You_ see her all year.”

“As her professor,” Remus corrected.“Not her… uncle.”

It still felt strange for Remus to call himself Harriet’s uncle.Not to say that he wasn’t incredibly _happy_ to do so, but it still sometimes felt like something he didn’t deserve, something that would be taken away from him at a moment’s notice.Harriet was happy to correct this notion whenever she could by introducing him as her uncle to whoever she met (whether or not she knew of his difficulties with the word or simply liked calling him her uncle remained to be seen— he was leaning towards the latter).

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again,” Sirius sighed.“You’ve gone over to the dark side, Moony.”

“You at least let her have _some_ fun, don’t you Moony?” her father pleaded.

A small argument broke out over what constituted as “fun.”Her father and Sirius maintained that this involved pranks of all sorts, and the fight quickly deteriorated into a reminiscing of all the trouble they had gotten into at Hogwarts.Harriet, from her position on the couch, made sure to listen attentively, knowing that Fred and George would kill to be in her position.In his last letter to her, Ron had mentioned that Fred and George had been experimenting all summer with various prank ideas and gag gifts, and Harriet planned on helping them put the money she had given them to good use.

“We cursed Severus up that tree that one time, remember?” Sirius asked with a chuckle.

Remus rolled his eyes.“It’s difficult to forget.He was furious.”

“You cursed Uncle Sev up a tree?” Harriet demanded, wide eyed, and sitting up.

Her father lookedbit uncomfortable.“Well, yes, Harriet.But this was years ago, obviously.”

“And if we hear of you cursing anybody up trees, your broom will be taken from you faster than you can blink,” said Lily, entering the room for the first time.Sirius gasped and placed a hand to his heart.

“Lily Potter!” he cried.“You would never dream of being so cruel to the Prongslette!”

Harriet tried to decide if she should be annoyed that they were talking about her like she wasn’t even there, but then got over it.It was all in good fun.

“Harriet knows perfectly well how to prank people without hurting them,” Lily said firmly, giving her daughter a stern look.Harriet nodded eagerly, not keen on getting on her mother’s bad side.Sirius seemed unconcerned. 

“You have to admit Snape was a right git back then,” Sirius pointed out.“After what he did to you not soon after—” He stopped himself at Lily’s look, but it was too late.Harriet was already looking curiously at her mother, waiting for her to clarify, but all she did was shake her head.

“What did he do?” Harriet demanded.She knew that Snape had gone through a dark period during his later years at Hogwarts, and that it had ultimately resulted in the end of his friendship with her mother, and his decision to reveal the contents of the prophecy to Lord Voldemort.Snape’s role as a Death Eater was one of those things Harriet liked to pretend had never happen, so conflicted were her feelings on the subject.  

“It was a long time ago, love,” Lily sighed.

Harriet was growing more curious by the minute.“But I want to know.”

“He called her a mudblood,” Sirius said bluntly.Harriet gasped and Lily shot him a withering look.

“Sirius!” she chided.

“If we didn’t tell her, she only would’ve found a way to figure it out on her own,” Sirius pointed out reasonably and Lily deflated.

“Harriet,” her father began, no doubt to calm her down, but Harriet stopped him with a shake of her head.

“I don’t— not right now,” she muttered, getting up.She wanted to be alone— desperately alone— for a little while, so she went to her room.  

She loved Snape— idolized him, even, in some ways— and it always hurt her to know about the things he had done in his past.This, though, this brought fresh hurt to her heart.  

Harriet spent the rest of the day in her room.That evening, when her parents called her down to dinner, she didn’t go.She just couldn’t face them.To Harriet, who valued her friendship with Ron and Hermione above almost everything else, the idea that Snape could do something like that to her mother…

Perhaps it was an overreaction.Harriet was aware of this.It didn’t make her any less angry at him, or at her parents and Sirius and Remus, who had kept this from her.They had kept a lot from her, as a general rule, she mused.The only reason she had learned about Snape’s past was because Tom Riddle hadn’t been able to keep quiet about it while taunting her in the chamber all those years ago. 

Her annoyance with her family (Snape included) had not dissipated by the time it was time for her to leave for Hogwarts.Nevertheless, she hugged them fiercely when the time came to board the Hogwarts expressed and, despite her anger, already missed them dearly.

* * *

  **Harriet Potter, Hogwarts — September 1, 1995**

Harriet’s start of term was not off to a very good beginning.During the first feast, after the Sorting, it had been revealed that the new professor would be none other than Dolores Umbridge. What little recollection Harriet had of the woman from her second year was not pleasant.Furthermore, Umbridge had been in the news recently for her work in pushing anti-lycanthropy legislation, so any chances of salvaging Harriet’s opinion of her was lost.  

At the moment, Umbridge, clad in a horrifying shade of pink, sat between Snape and her Uncle Moony at the head table in the Great Hall, and Harriet was having a hard time telling who was having a more unpleasant time.Uncle Sev looked as though he’d swallowed a particularly nasty potion, where as the normally restrained Lupin looked ready to stab the pink-clothed woman in the eye with his fork.

“What is she doing here?”Harriet hissed to Hermione as Umbridge proceeded to give some sort of speech.When she had interrupted Dumbledore only moments earlier, all the students in the Great Hall had gasped with shock. _Nobody_ interrupted Dumbledore.

“I heard that Dumbledore couldn’t find anybody else to take the position,” Hermione whispered back.Mad-Eye had been teaching them for the past few years (once ashimself and once as a fake), but had decided that he couldn’t tolerate children in such large quantities and that he wanted out after his altercation with Barty Crouch Jr.,once again leaving the position open.“Not after what’s been happening these past few years.”

“Why not give it to Snape then?” Ron wondered aloud, speaking just a tad too loudly.Hermione and Harriet shushed him.

Ron and Hermione had grown a bit more accepting of Snape as of late, which, under other circumstances, Harriet would’ve found pleasing.It had taken a lot of convincing to get Ron and Hermione to believe her when she said Snape had been working for the light ever since that night in Godric’s Hollow, but believe her now they did.

Still, all of this news would’ve been better served if Harriet _hadn’t_ decided to actively avoid Snape for the time being.She still hadn’t told her friends about what he had said to her mother, a mistake she planned on rectifying tonight.

“He did,” Harriet confirmed, remembering one of the conversations she had overheard take place between Snape and her mum.Harriet knew that Snape had been vying for the DADA position for years and was thrilled when Dumbledore finally came to him over the summer.“Only the didn’t have enough time to find somebody to take Snape’s place as Potions Master, and then somebody apparently volunteered for the Defense position.I just didn’t realize it was _her._ ”

“Did she just say that Defense would be theory only this year?” Ron demanded, making sure to keep his voice low.

Harriet blanched.“I _hope_ not.That would really defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?”

Ron was saved from having to respond by Umbridge wrapping up her speech.She cleared her throat, gave the students a small, toad-like smile, and finally ceded the floor to Dumbledore.

“Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for that enlightening speech.”To Dumbledore’s credit, no trace of sarcasm escaped from his words.Not for the first time, Harriet wished that _she_ could lie like that.The rest of the feast, thankfully, went off without a hitch.Harriet and Ron stuffed their faces full of delicious food (as was their custom) as Hermione watched, both disgusted and awed.  

When the time came to file out of the Great Hall, Hermione and Ron (newly named prefects) had to go off to direct the first years.Harriet, meanwhile, went back to the common room to wait for them— she still wanted to tell them about what Snape had said to her mum all those years ago and her subsequent fight with her parents upon finding out.  

Speaking of Snape, she had been doing her very best to avoid him and his gaze all evening.When she finally made it to the safety of the common rooms, she sighed in relief.She had forgotten how perceptive he was.He was no doubt aware that she was upset with him, although Harriet couldn’t say if he had figured it out himself or if her mum had told him, and had been trying to catch her eye all night.  

Harriet explained all of this _and_ the reasoning behind it to Ron and Hermione when they finally finished with the first years. They sat themselves off in a corner of the room where they would be left alone and nobody would overhear them.Hermione and Ron were equal parts concerned and sympathetic.

“Are you sure you aren’t overreacting, Harriet?” Hermione asked hesitantly.“I mean, what he said was horrible but it _was_ years ago.And you’ve forgiven him for so much else.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Ron grumbled.At Harriet’s pointed glare, he hastened to add, “But no judging!”

“Maybe,” Harriet admitted to Hermione after a moment, deflating suddenly.“I just— I don’t know.It feels like every time I’ve come to terms with what he’s done in the past, I found out something else.Is it really worth it forgiving him for all this again?”

“That’s up to you Harri,” Hermione offered.  

“And my parents keep hiding things from me,” Harriet added, determined to air out all of her grievances.

Ron was sympathetic at this.“Parents, mate.I hear ya.”

The trio lapsed into silence as Harriet thought things over.Hermione was the one who broke it.With a slightly devilish grin, she clapped her hands to get their attention.“Well, I say we move the conversation onto more pleasant topics.”

At Ron and Harriet’s confused looks, Hermione rolled her eyes.“Cedric, Harriet.How have things been with Cedric?”

Harriet blushed, ignoring Ron’s complaints of “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Good.Things have been good.”Harriet admitted.“We met up a few times over the summer at Diagon Alley and stuff. _And_ he’s been to dinner. My mum likes him, and he seems to be growing on dad and Remus and Sirus— they talk about Quidditch and all.We have plans to meet up at Hogsmeade, too.”

Hermione squealed in positive delight.“Oh, I knew you too would be cute together!”

“Adorable,” Ron drawled, clearly not interested in the conversation.  

They ignored him.

“I really like him,” Harriet admitted quietly.

Hermione’s second squeal could be heard throughout the common room.

* * *

 

**Harriet Potter, Umbridge’s Classroom — September 10, 1995**

Harriet didn’t think there was somebody she could hate more than Voldemort, but Umbridge was giving him a serious run for his money.She was just so _unpleasant._ Her voice was grating, her attitudes on wizarding politics archaic, and her methods for teaching Defense were downright boring.

Still, Harriet had been prepared to muddle through it all until Umbridge began to insult her uncle Remus.  

Then all bets were off.

“He’s completely fine during the full moon as long as he takes his potion,” Harriet protested vehemently, not caring that the rest of the class was staring at her aghast for speaking in such a way to the (newly crowned) meanest professor in the school.“Nobody is in any danger!”

“That may be,” Umbridge said, nostrils flaring angrily, “but to allow a half-breed such as him to teach—”

“Professor Lupin is half of nothing,” Harriet spat back.“And he’s one of the best teachers in this school!Ask anybody!”

Much to Harriet’s disappointment, nobody came to her (or Lupin’s) defense.She doubted it had to do with the disagreeing with her statement.Werewolf or not, Remus really was one of the most beloved professors in the school.Even the Slytherins had taken a reluctant shining to him.However, it seemed that the students’ fear of Umbridge far out outweighed their desire to support her. Umbridge had taken over Snape’s spot as the scariest professor at Hogwarts, much to Snape’s displeasure.

“Werewolves are nothing but a menace to society, and I will not have you spreading lies around the halls of Hogwarts, tainting the mind of the impressionable young students,” Umbridge hissed.

“But-!”

“Ten points from Gryffindor,” Umbridge said firmly, “for talking back to a teacher.Clearly you have a lot to learn about respect, Miss Potter.”

“I show respect to those that have earned it,” Harriet muttered sullenly, sinking back into her seat.

Umbridge’s eyes threatened to bug out of her head, and Harriet allowed herself a small modicum of pleasure for putting that expression on her face.“Detention. With me.Tonight.Eight o’clock.”

Harriet opened her mouth to say something, but Ron’s hand on her shoulder silenced her.He gave her a stern look and a shake of his head, clearly relaying the message that the fight wasn’t worth it at this point.She kept her mouth shut, but shrugged his hand off.Where were he and Hermione when Umbridge had been insulting her uncle?  

“We wanted to stand up for him.Really, Harriet,” Hermione said soothingly as they left the classroom.“But it’s not worth the trouble.Everybody here loves Professor Lupin.”

“She called me a liar,” Harriet seethed, “for saying that werewolves are just as good as normal people!”

“She’s horrible,” Ron confirmed.“A lot of people agree with her, though.Hogwarts has only gotten better about it because of Professor Lupin.The Wizarding World is still pretty unaccepting in comparison.”

“They can all—” Harriet said something unprintable and Ron and Hermione gaped at her.

“You’ve been spending too much time around Sirius,” Hermione said weakly.Ron just looked on at her in awe.

“If I sad something like that, my mum would be washing my mouth out with soap for weeks.”

“My mum would be, too,” Harriet admitted as they approached the door to the Great Hall, ready for lunchShe stopped before going in and let out a sigh.This day was already way too long.

“Chin up, Harriet,” Hermione said.“The day is already half over!”

“For you.I have detention.”

“She’ll probably make you do lines or something,” Ron dismissed as they sat at the table.“It won’t be too bad.”

Ron was right, in one respect, as it turned out.

Harriet arrived at Umbridge’s office on time, not wanting to give the professor another reason to dock her points. Umbridge’s office was one of the most frightening rooms Harriet had ever seen— and this included the Chamber of Secrets.Every surface was bedecked with pink or lace (or both), and the walls were taken up with various pictures of cats.

Umbridge sat at her desk, primly sipping from a tea-cup and awaiting Harriet’s arrival.When Harriet entered, Umbridge put her teacup aside and smiled a small smile.

“Ah, Miss Potter.So nice of you to join me. Please, take a seat.”She gestured towards a small table and chair off to the side of the room.Harriet did as she was told and noticed that a piece of parchment and a quill rested on the table.Umbridge confirmed her suspicions (and Ron’s guess) when she said, “You’ll be doing lines for me today.‘I must not tell lies.’That ought to do it, hm?”

Harriet resisted the urge to snap that she had _not_ been telling lies about her uncle, thank you very much.Instead, she asked through gritted teeth, “How many lines do you want me to do?”

“Oh, as many as it takes for the message to sink in, I suppose,” she said sweetly. 

Harriet didn’t really like the sound of that— she’d be here all night— but again didn’t protest.Hermione had given her a stern lecture on keeping her mouth shut and her head down this detention, if she wanted to avoid getting into anymore trouble.  

“You haven’t given me any ink,” Harriet noted, making to reach for some from her bag.  

Umbridge waved her actions away. “You won’t be needing any ink.”

_What?_ Harriet thought to herself.Something was very wrong here.Harriet could feel it.A part of her wanted to get up and walk out of the room— it’s not as though Umbridge could physically restrain her.On the other hand, what would that accomplish?Telling Remus or Snape that she’d left a detention because the professor weirded her out probably wouldn’t do any good, even if they were sympathetic.

And that was assuming that she was still talking to either of them.

Which she wasn’t.

(Not that she felt guilty about that or anything— it was their own fault for keeping secrets.)

Harriet let out a sigh as she picked up the quill and began to write.

_I must not tell lies._

She nodded in satisfaction at the line and went to do the next one, when something stopped her.A sharp pain in the back of her hand.She dropped the quill in surprise and watched, horrified, as the words she had just written down carved their way into her skin. 

_What in the world—?_

Umbridge hummed satisfactorily to herself.“Problem, Miss Potter?”

Harriet wanted to throw the quill at Umbridge’s head, but that would only antagonize her further.So she just shook her head and went back to writing.Again, the words carved themselves in the back of her hand.She clenched her toes and gritted her teeth against the pain, determined not to give Umbridge the satisfaction of seeing her flinch.

“That’s right, Miss Potter,” Umbridge said serenely, as though she wasn’t watching a student mutilate themselves all for her benefit.“Keep writing.You’ve been very bad, haven’t you? You deserve to be punished, and I think you know that, deep down.”

_This isn’t detention,_ Harriet thought to herself, as she kept writing. _This is torture._

As Harriet wrote, she couldn’t help but wonder what she should do next.She couldn’t _not_ tell somebody about this.Even if she ignored the fact that this was probably illegal, Harriet couldn’t risk the chance of Umbridge hurting another student.She thought of the first years she had seen Ron and Hermione lead out of the Great Hall earlier— they were so small and innocent (was she like that once upon a time?).She refused to let Umbridge ruin that.

Of course, she didn’t really feel like going to Snape, or even Remus.She loved them, yes, and trusted them, despite all that they had lied to her, but she was still hurt.She supposed she could go to McGonagall…

For the next several hours, Harriet entertained herself with thoughts of what McGonagall would do to Umbridge when she found out that one of her “cubs” had been hurt.By the time Harriet had finished lines, her stomach was in knots from both hunger and the pain.Her hand had been cut open so many times that it had eventually stopped bleeding.Her other hand was cramped from holding the quill for so long and so tightly.  

Umbridge let out a cough, forcing Harriet to look up.She held out her hand.It took Harriet’s tired mind a moment to figure out what Umbridge wanted.Then, realizing, she stood up and took her parchment with her, handing it over to Umbridge.Umbridge looked it over for a moment then nodded, apparently satisfied.

“Very well, Miss Potter.Hopefully this teaches you to be more respectful of your elders.”She said. “You are dismissed.”

Harriet managed to keep her mouth shut until she was in the hall.Walking along, she muttered to herself, “Old cow.”

“I should deduct points for that,” came a voice from behind her.Harriet nearly jumped out of her skin.She turned to see Snape, coming around the corner and watching her with raised brows.Harriet just scowled at him.

“Oh, like you don’t agree,” she pointed out.

Snape was quiet for a beat.Then said, “Regardless, what are you doing wandering around the corridors this late?”

“I had detention,” she said, self-consciously putting her injured hand behind her.Snape noticed, though, and focused his glare on it.

“What’s in your hand?”

“Nothing,” Harriet said, perhaps a tad too quickly.She showed Snape her empty hands, making sure to keep her palms facing outward.He hummed and nodded, dismissing her for the time being, so she went to walk past him.Quick as his house’s mascot, his hand darted out and grabbed hers, pulling it forward for him to get a better look.He ignored her undignified yelp and instead studied the scars on her hand with an almost detached interest.

“Where did you get these?” The tone of his voice betrayed just how _un-detached_ he really was.

Harriet shuffled her feet, feeling inexplicably guilty.Whether it was because she had been planning on keeping her hand a secret from him or if it was just the general feeling Snape brought about, she couldn’t say.Harriet knew she could never lie to Snape, not successfully, anyway.And yes, she was still angry with him, but maybe she _had_ learned something over the years: keeping secrets never did anybody much good, no matter how much the adults in her life seemed to think otherwise. 

Ignoring her pride, she finally answered Snape, who had been waiting patiently:“Detention.With Umbridge.She had these quill things—”

“Blood quills?” Snape demanded.

Harriet shrugged.“I guess.I don’t know what they’re called.She made me do lines.”

“Come with me,” he said firmly, but without giving her much choice.He didn’t let go of her hand and pulled her along rather roughly, barely pausing when Harriet stumbled.They continued in this manner until they reached the hospital wing.

“Hush,” Snape snapped impatiently, when Harriet started to grumble at the site of the wing’s white-washed walls.She _hated_ the medical wing.She personally thought that she spent far more time there than necessary (between Quidditch injuries, normal illnesses, and the occasional life-threatening feat).

“What in the world, Severus?” demanded Madam Pomfrey.She was one of the few teachers in the school who had never been afraid of Snape.She was also one of the few teachers in the school who even Snape dared not cross.

Snape didn’t say anything to her, but rather held out Harriet’s hand for her to look at.All of the anger drained out of Madam Pomfrey’s expression the moment she saw the marks.She took Harriet’s hand from Severus’s grip and held it in her own, examining the cuts closely.“How did this happen?”

“Umbridge seemed to think that blood quills are an appropriate detention,” Snape sneered.

Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue as she pulled Harriet along towards one of the cots.Harriet, for all that she thought this was an overreaction, didn’t argue (for once) and lay down where the healer directed. Madam Pomfrey pulled the blanket up around her and made sure she was comfortable, patting the bed gently when she was done.  

Then she turned to face Snape, suddenly all business.“Somebody needs to alert the Headmaster.”

“Preferably before you heal her hands,” Snape noted.“We’ll need to document it for proof.” 

“Tippy,” Madam Pomfrey called, her voice raising just slightly.Harriet was only a bit surprised when a house-elf popped out of seemingly-nowhere a moment later.She had gotten more used to them since she had met Dobby— Sirius had even taken her to meet Kreacher a few months back.He had been very excited. 

“Yes, mistress?” Tippy asked, ears bobbing eagerly.

“Alert the headmaster that a student has been injured and that he is needed right away,” Madam Pomfrey informed her.Then, she paused.Hesitatingly, she added, “Do the same to Professor Lupin.Wake them up, if necessary.It’s urgent.”

“Of course, mistress!” Tippy said quickly, happy to do work, as almost all house-elves were.She popped out a moment later, leaving Harriet alone once again with Snape and Madam Pomfrey.Madam Pomfrey left, then, too, muttering something about a camera for documentation, and a draught to help with the pain.Harriet wanted to tell her that the second wasn’t really necessary, but decided to let it go.Her hand _was_ throbbing quite a bit.

She and Snape were left in silence.

“I was going to tell somebody,” Harriet said, needing to the fill the void of quiet with _something._ She busied herself by examining her injured hand, but did see Snape raise an eyebrow out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh? Then why hide your hand when I asked?”

“I just didn’t want to tell _you,_ ” Harriet admitted, risking another glance at him.His expression didn’t change, and he was saved from answering by the arrive of Dumbledore and Professor Lupin.Dumbledore looked the same as always, calm, cool, and collected, although it was a bit strange to see him in a dressing gown (dark crimson with gold polka-dots) as opposed to his usual robes.Lupin looked harried, his hair a mess and face crinkled with lines from his pillow.He also wore a dressing gown over his usual striped pajamas. 

(Harriet was also pleased to note that Dumbledore wore the socks she had given him the past year for Christmas.)

“Harriet,” Dumbledore said, not sounding surprised.“What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?”

Knowing the drill, Harriet showed him her injured hand.The twinkle in Dumbledore’s eye disappeared when he saw it and a frown crossed his face.Remus’s anger, on the other hand, was far more palpable.The moment he saw Harriet’s hand, his jaw clenched and his hands tightened into fists.  

Harriet had never had a reason to fear Lupin— never.Even when she had first learned about his lycanthropy, the reaction of her eleven year-old self had been more curiosity than fear.Still, in this moment, she was afraid.Not for herself, mind you.Remus would never hurt her.  

But, yes.

Remus looked positive feral.

Snape related what happened to the Headmaster and to Remus.

“I’ll kill her,” Remus swore, completely serious.It was the sort of reaction Harriet would’ve expected from Sirius, not from him, and she blushed at the fuss she was causing. 

“Let’s not do anything rash, Mr. Lupin,” Dumbledore sighed, although not looking happy about it.Madam Pomfrey chose that moment to return with a camera (similar to the one Colin had carried) and ordered Harriet to hold out her hand.She did so, and Madam Pomfrey began to take pictures.

“How long were you in detention with Professor Umbridge, Harriet?” Dumbledore questioned.

Harriet thought about it.“A few hours, at least.Longer? There wasn’t a clock. I got there at eight.I’m not sure what time it is now.”

Dumbledore hummed in acknowledgement and Remus swore under his breath.Harriet felt compelled to add, “I knew something was wrong when I showed up— she wouldn’t give me any ink— but I didn’t really have a reason to leave.And then once I started I—”  

Harriet paused, not wanting to admit that in those moments, as she wrote, she had come to believe Umbridge’s words of deserving punishment. It was a nasty sort of effect those quills had had on her, and she was already feeling bad over being angry with her parents.And she did cause them _so much trouble._

“—I didn’t realize I could leave,” she added weakly.Nobody looked quite like they believed her (and why should they? Harriet had taken down a basilisk… Surely she could handle a professor), but nobody pushed the point.“I was going to tell McGonagall.”

Snape started at this.For some reason, this was the wrong thing to say.He got up and left the room, muttering as he did so, “I’ll alert the brat’s parents.” 

Harriet was a bit insulted at that, but let it go.Madam Pomfrey fretted a bit more over her hand and then offered her a small vial.Harriet sniffed it and then retched.It was _horrid._

“None of that, Harriet,” she tutted.“You’ll drink it all up.It’ll help with the pain, although it might make you a tad sleepy.”

“I’ll be here with you, Harriet,” Remus assured, pulling up a chair.“Your parents will no doubt be here soon, too.”

Harriet sighed and took the vial, downing all of its contents in one gulp.As she did so, Dumbledore stood.“I best alert the Ministry about this.I’ll be in my office, if needed.”He rested his hand on Harriet’s head and ruffled her hair gently.“Sleep, now, Harriet.”

Harriet did.

* * *

 

**The Potter Family, Hogwarts Hospital Wing — September 2, 1995**

 When Harriet woke up from a deep, potion-addled sleep, it was already morning.  She could tell because the sun was out, light filtering in through the curtains.  It took her a moment to remember why she was in the hospital wing, but when she did, she raised her hand to her face, curious about the scars.  Whatever Madam Pomfrey had given her had already started to its work— the scratches were pink, now, the healing of day-old skin, as opposed to only a few hours hold.

Harriet stretched languidly and hummed to herself, feeling surprisingly well rested.She looked around, surprised to see that her parents were nowhere in sight.She pulled herself out of bed and, in the process, noticed that she was no longer in her school uniform.Instead, she was in a pair of her pajamas.From _home._ So her parents _had_ been here.  

So, when she pulled the curtain surrounding her bed open, she was not surprised to see her parents having a light breakfast at a table in the corner of the hospital wing.Sirius was also there, but Remus wasn’t, no doubt preparing (or even teaching— what time was it?) his next class.When they saw her, her parents smiled.Her mother opened her arms wide.As Harriet went in for a hug, her father looked her over concernedly.

“How are you feeling, Harriet?” he asked seriously.Harriet let go of her mum and shrugged, taking a seat next to them.

“Alright.The potion Madam Pomfrey gave me helped.I slept well, and my hand doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Her father’s expression darkened, but only for a moment.When it cleared, Harriet was left wondering if she had imagined the whole thing.“Good.I’m glad to hear it.”

“When did you guys get here?” Harriet asked, taking a piece of toast for herself and liberally spreading some jam on it.

“Last night,” her mother answered.“You were sleeping so soundly, though, that we didn’t want to wake you.”She hesitated for the briefest moment.“May I see your hand, love?”

Harriet gave it to her dutifully, not even bothering to ask which hand it was she wanted to see.Her mother took it gently, her father and Sirius peering over her shoulders, and fingered the marks on them with a feather light touch. 

“They’re healing well,” she noted, sounding pleased.

“They shouldn’t have to heal at all,” Sirius grumbled, earning an agreeing look from her father.

“What’s going to happen to Umbridge?” Harriet asked.

“Some of our colleagues came to get her,” Sirius said, sounding cheerful all of a sudden.“She’ll be given a fair trial— more than she deserves— and then hopefully carted off to Azkaban.”

The prospect of Azkaban, while still sobering, was no longer as dour as it once was.Since Shacklebolt had taken over as Prime Minister, he had gotten rid of the Dementors, all of their trouble causing at Hogwarts aiding him in winning public approval.Umbridge would be unhappy in prison, but she would not be tormented by her nightmares in the way Sirius (and countless, innocent others, no doubt) had been.

“Snape told us that you didn’t want to show him your hand,” her father said carefully, after a few minutes of silence, where they all enjoyed their food.“Are you still upset about what happened between him and your mother all those years ago?”

“No,” Harriet denied.“Well, yes? I mean, I was upset.Very upset.But, then, it was so long ago, and you clearly seem to be over it.Now I’m just upset that nobody tells me these things— not you or mum or Sirius or Remus or _anybody,_ and I have to go find out on my own.I guess I just wanted you all to feel a bit of what I felt.Sorry…”

Her mother frowned.“There are some things you’re too young to-“

Harriet groaned, not letting her finish.“That’s a terrible excuse.”

Instead of getting upset with Harriet for interrupting, her mother let out a small smile. “Yes, I suppose it would seem that way to you.”

Harriet just looked at her, not saying anything, and wondering what would happen next.Her father looked thoughtful, then said, “How’s this: we’ll try to keep you in the loop more, and you try to understand that we’ve all done things in the past that we’re not proud of.None of us are perfect, Prongslette, but we love you, and don’t want to hurt you.”

“That’s fair,” Harriet said softly.“And I was going to tell McGonagall about my hand, I _swear._ I wasn’t going to let Umbridge get away with what she did.”

“Well, that’s something, I suppose,” her mother said gently, but with a hint of pride in her voice.

“What do you say we get you cleared from Madame Pomfrey, hm?” Sirius asked, pushing back his chair and standing up.“Then we can go bug Remus while he teaches class.”

Harriet and her father exchanged excited grins with her father.Her mother just groaned.For all the progress Harriet had made in the past few days, some things would never change.

* * *

**Harriet Potter and Cedric Diggory, The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade — October 1, 1995**

“I’m glad you and your parents worked it out,” Cedric said, taking a sip of his butterbeer.It was a few weeks after the events with Umbridge and Harriet and Cedric finally found the time to meet at the Three Broomsticks.Ron and Hermione had left them, after saying hi, to go to the candy store down the way.Harriet was pleased to see Cedric.She liked him.She really did.And after all the craziness that had happened, she had to admit that it was nice being around his down-to-earth presence.

“It just wasn’t worth the energy being angry,” Harriet admitted.“And Snape and I talked, too.Well, I talked.Snape mainly listened, as usual.But I did get him to admit that he was horribly wrong in calling my mother what he did. _And_ he made me promise that if I heard any rumors about anything he might’ve done in the past, to come to him directly instead of being angry at him about it.”

Cedric grinned, although there was something off about it.Harriet assumed it was because he (like many other students) was still not terribly comfortable with her friendship with Snape.“At least it’s all over now.Here’s to a normal year!”

He raised his glass in toast, which Harriet met.After taking a sip of her butterbeer, she made a face.“Not completely normal. We still don’t have a DADA teacher.All the other teachers have been subbing, but there’s no set lesson plan or office hours or anything since everybody’s schedule is so hectic teaching two classes now.”

“Why not form your own study group?” Cedric suggested idly. Harriet was struck with the quiet brilliance of this idea, and told Cedric so.He blushed, then added, “You could teach.You’ve had the best marks in Defense for years now, and you’ve taken down basilisks.How many people can say they’ve done that?”

Now it was Harriet’s turn to blush.She demurred, “Thanks, Cedric.I don’t know why, but I always feel better after talking to you.”

His smile dropped at this, and Harriet felt her own heart plummet.“What?”

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Cedric admitted, clearly stalling.

“Tell me what?” Harriet demanded.Her hands had begun to grow clammy at this point.She didn’t like the sound of this _at all,_ and she had never seen Cedric look so nervous.

“I don’t think this is working between us,” he admitted quietly.

“Oh,” was all Harriet could say.

“It’s not you, really!” He said, and if Harriet had been in a different mood, she would’ve hexed him for bringing out that old cliche. “I really like you.But with you here at school, and me at work, and the time— There’s just not enough time— I mean— Oh, Harriet.Please tell me you understand?”

“I understand,” she said dully, but she didn’t.Not really.Yes, she supposed they didn’t see much of each other, but she thought that didn’t matter.She had thought that Cedric had liked her as much as she liked him and was willing to look past that.She guessed she was wrong.

“We can still be friends, can’t we?” he asked hopefully.

“Yeah.Of course,” Harriet said noncommittally.Maybe one day she’d feel better enough to take Cedric up on his offer (especially since she was going to miss him, _dammit_ ), but that day was not today.She spied Ron and Hermione entering the pub and muttered, “I’m gonna go and talk to Ron and Hermione.”

Not really giving him a chance to give her a proper goodbye (or say one in return), she headed over to her two friends and sat down at the table, her head landing with a thunk as it came to rest on the table between her arms.Both Hermione and Ron exchanged worried looks (not that Harriet saw).

“Harriet?”

“Cedric broke up with me.”

“Oh, Harriet,” Hermione sighed.Ron held up a hand to get them all a fresh round of butterbeers as Hermione tried to offer her some reassuring platitudes. Harriet let them wash over her and by the time the butterbeer had arrived, she was feeling a bit better.Harriet mentioned the study group idea Cedric had mentioned, in an effort to change the subject a bit and get her mind off things.

Hermione was thrilled by the idea.“We could get books from the library!And I’m sure Professor Lupin would help—! This is a wonderful idea!”

“Where would we hold the groups, though?” Ron asked.“I mean, I suppose we could get one of the professors to sign off one of their classrooms, but then they’d probably need to supervise, and they never have time these days.”

“Excuse me?” A voice from behind them piped up.Harriet turned, surprised, and was pleased to see Dobby standing behind them, looking pleased as punch and wearing his sock along with a new hat.  

“Dobby!” Hermione beamed.“Take a seat!”

Harriet moved her chair to the side so that she could pull another one up to the table, allowing Dobby to hop up next to them.He looked inordinately pleased with himself.“If Harriet Potter pleases, Dobby thinks he knows of somewhere she and her friends can practice.”

Despite her heartache, Harriet felt herself grinning along with Dobby.

Maybe things would start looking up, after all.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there ya go! New chapter! I felt this was a bit rushed, but hope you like it! Only a few more one-shots left until I close the book (hehe) on this 'verse :)


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